Jubilee says it will wrestle ward seat from ODM
A voter casts a ballot at a past by-election. Jubilee Alliance Party says it will wrestle the North Ugenya Ward seat from ODM in the August 17 by-election. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Mwanga nearly trounced Mr James Orengo for the Ugenya parliamentary seat in the 2007 elections.
- The seat fell vacant following the death of Mr Benson Omondi in March.
Jubilee Alliance Party says it will wrestle the North Ugenya Ward seat from ODM in the August 17 by-election.
In a strategy informed by the need to have a strong candidate who can contain the influence of ODM leader Raila Odinga, the coalition has fronted Mr Steve Mwanga to fight it out with Mr Shaban Omar.
Mr Mwanga nearly trounced Mr James Orengo for the Ugenya parliamentary seat in the 2007 elections.
The rivalry came into play again recently during the ODM nominations when the party settled on Mr Omar.
Mr Mwanga accused the party of rigging him out because of the 2007 election and the perception that his campaigns would be bloody. Mr Lazarus Otieno is contesting on a Kanu ticket.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Mr Benson Omondi in March.
But it is the heat of the campaigns in remote villages in Ugenya Constituency that has attracted interest.
An ODM loss against JAP in its home turf will have serious ramifications to the opposition party.
Leaders, among them Senator Orengo, Governor Cornel Rasanga and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi have began campaigning for Mr Omar.
CONTEST
Mr Mwanga told the Nation on Monday that he would win because ODM “bungled in the primaries”.
“I have launched a door-to-door campaign. Siaya County needs to be transformed,” he said.
The Jubilee candidate said the ward seat was a springboard for his 2017 bid. He didn’t say which seat he would go for.
“We in JAP have what it takes to win this seat. I ask voters to look beyond the MCA post. We have asked our supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns,” Mr Mwanga said.
Accompanying Mr Mwanga to the IEBC offices at Sega Youth Polytechnic on Tuesday last week, JAP Deputy Leader David Mureithi said they were confident of a win.
“We have seen how you welcomed us. This has built our confidence as we front our brother for this contest,” Mr Mureithi said.
Mr Wandayi, who is also the ODM Secretary for Political Affairs, said Jubilee has no chance of winning a seat in the county.
“We can never be swayed by corruption money. The humiliation JAP will get will be worse than what happened in Kajiado Central,” he said.
Siaya ODM chairman Oloo Okanda said the politics of Jubilee and Cord will not deter them from selling their candidate.
